"What is ReSAKSS?", presentation by Babatunde Omilola, ReSAKSS-Africa Wide, in Exploring New Opportunities and Strategic Alternatives to Inform African Agricultural Development, Planning, and Policy ReSAKKS conference held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, November 23-24, 2009

1. Introduction to Conference and
ReSAKSS
Babatunde Omilola
ReSAKSS Africa-wide Coordinator
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
ReSAKSS Africa-wide Conference: Exploring New Opportunities and Strategic
Alternatives to Inform African Agricultural Development, Planning and Policy
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Headquarters
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
November 23-24, 2009

2. Outline of Presentation
• Objectives of Conference
• Review of Conference Agenda
• What is ReSAKSS?
• Future of ReSAKSS

3. Objectives of Conference
• To discuss strategies to boost agricultural development in Africa.
• To bring together policymakers, researchers, representatives from
farmers’ organizations, donor and development agencies, and the
private sector in order to explore new opportunities and strategic
alternatives to inform African agricultural development, planning,
and policy.
• To assess countries’ progress in implementing CAADP, discuss what
needs to be done in the future, and share experiences and success
stories.
• To brainstorm on the best methods for using agriculture to have on-
the-ground impact, improve the lives of poor people, and spur
economic growth and development in African countries.

4. Review of Conference Agenda
• Opening statements by representatives of AU, RECs, donors, and IFPRI
• Three themes:
a. Agricultural Performance, Public Spending, Growth and Poverty Reduction Trends
b. Strategies and Options for Improving Agricultural Performance
c. Mechanisms for Implementing Agricultural Development Strategies
• Keynote presentations and panel discussions by IFPRI directors, ReSAKSS
coordinators, CAADP pillar institutions, RECs, country strategy programs
and famers’ organizations on overview of agricultural performance in
Africa; CAADP pillar frameworks; experiences with ReSAKSS; and policy
and knowledge systems to promote economic growth and poverty
reduction.
• Panel discussions on the future role of ReSAKSS in informing African
agricultural development, planning and policy.

5. What is ReSAKSS?
• ReSAKSS supports the African Union, the NEPAD Secretariat,
Regional Economic Communities, and their member countries, as
well as their partners, to ensure that CAADP implementation is
guided by cutting-edge agricultural and economic research—with
the ultimate goal of reducing poverty and hunger, and improving the
lives of all Africans throughout the continent.
• ReSAKSS provides high quality and timely analysis, data, knowledge,
information, tools and technical support to track progress in African
agriculture and food security; promotes evidence-based policy and
decisionmaking; and fills gaps in knowledge.

6. What is ReSAKSS?
• ReSAKSS helps African policymakers to determine priorities, identify
appropriate levels and areas of investment, allocate resources
efficiently, and create comprehensive development strategies.
• ReSAKSS encourages knowledge sharing and access among a
network of partners in Africa (development institutions, regional
bodies, researchers, practitioners, policy makers, farmer groups).
• ReSAKSS regularly and continuously measures progress, and shares
experiences across countries with respect to CAADP goals
– Are countries achieving the targeted growth rates? (6%)
– Are countries investing at the targeted level? (10%)
– Are these investments having their intended impacts on poverty and hunger?
• ReSAKSS informs the review processes established by the AU/NEPAD
(mutual, peer and progress review)

7. ReSAKSS regional nodes
Africa-wide at IFPRI – coordinates across
regional nodes-works with AU and
NEPAD
West Africa at
IITA in Ibadan
– works with Eastern and Central
ECOWAS Africa at ILRI in
Nairobi - works
with COMESA
Southern Africa at
IWMI in Pretoria –
works with SADC

8. Key Features of ReSAKSS Analytical
Support
• Strategic analysis
– Several working papers, issue briefs, and annual trends reports.
– M&E framework created and operationalization has started with data collection
on recommended indicators at the national, regional and continental levels.
• Knowledge management
– Website and e-newsletter.
– Engaging in review, dialogue, and knowledge mechanisms to facilitate the
transition toward evidence-based and outcome-oriented strategy planning and
implementation, thereby ensuring better outcomes.
• Capacity strengthening
– CAADP Roundtable Process launched in several countries.
– Helping in guiding the set up of country SAKSS nodes in many countries.
– In-country training sessions on modeling, GIS, etc.

9. How does ReSAKSS provide
analysis, knowledge and
information support in tracking
progress of African agriculture and
food security in the context of
CAADP?

10. 1
CAADP Framework endorsed
2
In order to implement goals of
by African leaders, (targets of
CAADP framework,
6% & 10%) and agreed upon
decisionmakers need
by all African leaders.
evidence-based knowledge
and analysis on investments,
6
Country CAADP compacts are growth options, etc.
signed binding stakeholders to
goals set forth at Roundtables.
ReSAKSS manages this
3
ReSAKSS, though its network
knowledge so that
of partners, takes stock and
decisionmakers and
starts analysis of growth and
5
stakeholders can access and
investment options.
utilize it. Debate and
dialogue take place in
countries as they consider
4
options for implementing
ReSAKSS facilitates country-specific
CAADP framework (lead-up
knowledge, information and analysis by
to CAADP Roundtables)
working with in-country policy and knowledge
hubs.

11. CAADP Implementation Status by Country
based on ReSAKSS Analytical Support

12. Key indicators Monitored by ReSAKSS
• Formal communications, declarations
• Compact signings (country and regional)
• Review and dialogue
Processes • Mutual accountability framework
• Levels and Shares
• Sub-sector
Agricultural • Spatial
Investments
Other factors:
• Levels and growth rates
trade, hunger,
Agricultural • Production and Productivity inputs, prices, etc.
Growth
• Headcount index
• Absolute numbers
Poverty • MDG projections
Reduction

13. ReSAKSS Website: www.resakss.org
ReSAKSS website provides “one-stop
shop” for policymakers, researchers,
representatives from farmers’
organizations, donor and development
agencies, and the private sector Page 13

14. Users can
The ReSAKSS website allows customize the map
users to easily track and charts based on
progress against the specific
the CAADP and MDG information they
targets while also accessing are looking for,
a wealth of knowledge and whether that be
data on agricultural regional
development in Africa information…

15. …or country-specific information.
When a country is
selected, the map,
charts and bottom
narrative change to
provide all available
information on that
country.

16. By zooming out,
users can select
another country…
…thereby enabling cross-
country comparisons over
time. Users can view each
country’s progress
toward the 6% CAADP
target and compare this
to other countries.

17. ...or compare countries’ performance across years.

18. All indicators can
be shown at once
for a country,
with an easy-to-
use slider to view
changes over
time.

19. Downloadable Data
All data can be easily exported:
- An image file of a color-coded
Africa Wide map for one
indicator and one year at a
time
- A bar chart of all indicators
for one country in one year
- A line chart of all countries
for one indicator
- An excel file (spreadsheet) of
all data on the selected
indicator OR all data for the
selected country. Example of image export for population in 2000.

20. Series of Knowledge and Information Products
• A series of high-quality and analytical working papers, issue briefs and trend
reports shared with policy-makers to provide credible evidence to base
policy decisions
• Examples:
• “Agricultural Development, Investment and Poverty in Africa: Trends and Performance. ReSAKSS Africa-wide
Annual Trends Report 2009 (Forthcoming).
• “Monitoring Agricultural Sector Performance, Growth and Poverty in Africa.” ReSAKSS Africa-wide Annual
Trends Report 2008.
• Status and Trends in Agriculture and Food Security Indicators in East and Central Africa”. ReSAKSS East and
Central Africa Trends Report 2008
• “Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) System for the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development
Programme (CAADP).” ReSAKSS Working Paper No. 6, 2008.
• “Accelerating Africa’s Food Production in Response to Rising Food Prices – Impacts and Requisite Actions.”
ReSAKSS Working Paper No. 3, 2008
• “Public Spending for Agriculture in Africa: Trends and Composition”. ReSAKSS Working Paper No. 28, 2009
• "Investing in African Agriculture to Halve Poverty by 2015." ReSAKSS Issue Brief No. 4, 2008.

21. Knowledge Products (Contd.)
• “Tracking Agricultural Spending for Agricultural Growth and Poverty Reduction in Africa.” ReSAKSS Issue Brief No. 5,
2008.
• “Agricultural Growth and Investment Options for Poverty Reduction in Uganda.” ReSAKSS Working Paper No. 17, 2008.
• “Agricultural Growth and Investment Options for Poverty Reduction in Malawi.” ReSAKSS Working Paper No. 18, 2008.
• “Agricultural Growth and Poverty Reduction in Malawi: Past Performance and Recent Trends.” ReSAKSS Working Paper
No. 8, 2008.
• “Monitoring Trends in Public Expenditures in Agriculture: The Case of Malawi.” ReSAKSS Working Paper No. 9, 2008.
• “Promoting Fertilizer use in Africa: Current Issues and Empirical Evidence from Malawi, Zambia and Kenya.” ReSAKSS
Working Paper No. 13, 2008.
• “Agricultural Growth Options for Poverty Reduction in Mozambique.” ReSAKSS Working Paper No. 20, 2008.
• “Agriculture for Development in Ghana: New Opportunities and Challenges.” ReSAKSS Working Paper No. 16., 2008
• “Trends in Agricultural and Rural Development Indicators in Zambia.” ReSAKSS Working Paper No. 2, 2007
• “Growth and Poverty Reduction Impacts of Public Investments in Agriculture and Rural Areas: Assessment Techniques,
Tools and Guide for Practitioners.” ReSAKSS Working Paper No. 7, 2008.

22. Future of ReSAKSS
• Consolidation and repositioning of ReSAKSS as the leading knowledge
platform for review, learning, dialogue and benchmarking of agricultural
policy planning and implementation in Africa.
• Full operationalization at country level of the monitoring and evaluation
system (M&E).
• Adequate technical assistance for the establishment and operation of
country SAKSS nodes.
• Monitoring of regional agricultural sector trends and emerging strategic
issues such as food and financial crises, emerging trade and investment
issues, land and climate change issues.
• Close cross-cutting collaborations with AU/NEPAD, RECs, CAADP Pillar
institutions, CGIAR centers, technical institutions in Africa, AGRA and other
development partners such as the World Bank and FAO.

23. Thank you!